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In the dry, hot desert state of Rajasthan, a few enthusiasts have come together and offered those who wish to play football, a map to the lagoon.
AU Rajasthan FC has become the first professional club to come out of the state. The responsibility on the shoulders of the club is huge, to make sure that as they grow, so does the game in Rajasthan.
Shubham Garg, the club's Technical Advisor, who has played for, and captained, Rajasthan at a domestic level, spoke about the need for a comprehensive footballing structure in the state. Speaking to Sportskeeda, Garg relayed the plans for the club and how it will affect football in Rajasthan.
"We saw that there was an obvious lack of clubs that play football in Rajasthan," he said, "When I started organizing youth leagues, I saw an opportunity for the development of football. It is during this time that I started consulting with the Rajasthan Football Association."
Garg, who is an independent director for the RFA, says he and his colleagues realized the need for a football club in Rajasthan and decided to partner with AU Bank. The bank is a small finance bank and will serve as a title sponsor for the team.
"AU Bank had helped us with our projects earlier also. So when this opportunity came along to create a professional club, we decided to approach them. We asked them to get involved in some capacity in order to form a semi-professional or a professional club in the state. They decided to come on board and sponsor the club," Garg added.
"However, with the current setup of the club, we understand that we are in a position where we have to play in the I-League Second Division. That is how the budgets and the setup have been created.
"Our aim was to play in the I-League Second Division this year. However, in order to play under the I-League banner, you first need to play in the state league. So we are expected to do a Rajasthan State league run, somewhere before the end of this year. Once the club play in the state league, they are eligible to apply for participation in the I-League Second Division."
"We are not on an I-League level right now, we are at a Second Division level," adds Garg, who is expecting the club to make progress quickly.
The force of change
The AU Rajasthan team now have a big task at hand. The formation of a professional club in the state means that many now expect them to be the force that drives football in Rajasthan.
"I have a dual role here. I'm associated with both the club and the association. The association needs private stakeholders to come forward and drive the sport," said the former Rajasthan captain before adding, "The aim is for the association to get involved in any way it can, but the club will push the professional setup."
Garg himself used to organize youth leagues during his college days. It is from that time that he and his colleagues started developing an ecosystem for football players to nurture.
"The idea is to drive the club and in turn, the club will drive the sport in Rajasthan. We might even conduct professional courses on football. However, until there are a few professional clubs in a state, football won't grow."
Helping the youth players
AU Rajasthan FC have also acquired accreditation for a youth academy. They plan on taking players on board at an early stage and helping them turn professional.
"Apart from the state league and I-League Second Division, we are also looking towards playing in the youth I-League. We will take the younger players in the youth academy who will go on to play at youth levels and for the first team; we will scout talent within the state.
"There is a lot of talent in Rajasthan. However, due to the lack of a proper structure, all these talented players are scattered all over the state. We are looking to get them on board with AU Rajasthan and help them develop," he said. "Basically, we will implement the trial model at first. There will be people conducting the trials and we will take the best with us."
On their way to the top
The AU Rajasthan team have successfully navigated the first precarious step in building a successful football club. The club exist on paper. However, now comes the tough part - taking the club to the highest level.
"There was a bid to take the club into the I-League last year. However, it didn't materialize. Nevertheless, we realized that had we taken the club directly to the I-League, it would've been a very high leap. Directly going into the I-league without a good setup could've been costly.
"So I think this is a good start for us - to first play in the state league and then move towards the top. We aim to be in the I-League Second Division within a year. From there, we will look to gain promotion into the I-League either through corporate entry or through the second division," Garg added.
When can we see Rajasthan in the I-League? A confident Shubham Garg replied, "Three years."
